Monday, June 25, 2012

Faith and superstition cannot be easily differentiated by many people. They may look same. Yet there is a vast difference between the two.

Faith is based on understanding, inner knowing and trust. Superstition is based on ignorance, fear and greed.

There are many things in life we accept with faith that cannot be proven with logic. But we know it to be true in our deeper self. Faith arises out of internal sources.

Superstition is irrational belief. It is also not provable with logic. But it is believed by people based on vague references in unauthentic sources and scriptures. Superstition arises out of external sources.

Mere collection of facts from books or other external sources is not enough to give us genuine faith. We cannot have faith until we ourselves gained conviction through direct experience or inner knowing. When we know a thing definitely whole world cannot shake our faith.

Generally, doctrines, ceremonies and rituals are originally created with special meaning to lead us to truth. So long as we follow them with the right spirit and understanding the meaning it may lead to us have faith some day. But when we forget the real meaning and aim of such observances and follow them mechanically it becomes superstition.

Faith is omnipotent and all powerful. Jesus Christ said, “For verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall impossible unto you”. But superstition is weakening and degenerating in nature.

Swami Vivekananda said “I would rather see every one of you rank atheists than superstitious fools, for the atheist is alive and you can make something out of him. But if superstition enters, the brain is gone, the brain is softening, degradation has seized upon the life. Avoid these two”.